We all have started off a new year with some resolution or two resolving to change a habit or starting something totally new. The new year, after all, is seen as a new beginning. Starting fresh with a blank slate can feel liberating and motivating. We don’t arrive at this resolution by chance. There have typically been months, if not longer, leading up to the desire to make a change. However, trying to be too radical with the change can backfire, with difficult expectations of ourselves that we immediately fall behind on.
Steady and Focused Changes
Many people’s focus on the new year is health and wellness for themselves and their families. From an ayurvedic point of view, approaching the resolution in a steady and methodical way is what can lead to success. For some people, they set a goal like working out every day when they haven’t been to the gym in years. This dramatic change and routine can quickly lead to burnout and lead the person to quit altogether. Instead, the best way to approach health in the new year is focusing on nourishment and balance and taking manageable steps towards the final goal.
The way we approach personal change begins with deliberate, flexible plans. The end goal may be the same, but the manner in which one gets there may change along the journey. We need to allow space to adapt as we achieve the goal.
Steps to Being Healthier
If being healthier in the new year is what your goal is, then it is essential that you consider mind, body, and spirit as you begin your journey in better wellness. Health is not simply losing weight, or eating better, it is considering your entire self.
As humans, we are creatures of habit, and habits are hard to change. Changes can feel stressful and unstable, so it is essential to make conscious shifts in order to adopt a new habit.
1. Maintaining a routine
One of the first steps towards better health is to align your life with the natural cycle of nature and time. Our daily rituals help us stay balanced and maintain inner harmony, helping to regulate you and help optimize your mental and emotional levels. Ancient vedic scriptures suggest that the best time to wake up is one hour before sunrise. However, the most important thing is to start the day at the same time, and then continue your rituals so that your daily balance does not get off kilter.
In order to adopt healthier habits such as exercise, meditation, or new foods, being consciously committed, and adding it to your routine slowly will lead to higher chances of success. Commit to going to the gym or take a yoga class twice per week, and then increase your time from there. Routine builds success.
2. Eating well.
Eating a balanced diet, replacing processed food and reducing artificial sugars will help nourish, replenish and energize you. Start slow by adding more vegetables to your meals, and reducing snacks like chips and cookies and adding more raw nuts, fruits etc. By not forcing yourself to completely shift your diet and making manageable, conscious changes will help you make a change that will be sustainable in the long run. Plan your meals ahead of time so that you don’t get hungry and make choices that will impulsively eliminate hunger. Think long term.
3. Focusing on Yourself.
Taking time for yourself in order to become healthier is essential. Schedule a block of time each day where you do something that is good for your health. We all can get busy and it can be easy to let time slip away. However, if you know that each day you need to spend a small amount of time doing something for yourself, it will be easy to adapt to making that a focus and changing the habit. Whether it be taking a walk during the day, meditating, reading a good book, etc, you will feel revived, more inspired and have more energy.
4. Book end your days.
Starting and finishing your day with a spiritual practice will set your life for success in many ways. When we end our days with a calming meaningful practice that helps ground our body and mind, we are giving ourselves the support to start our day in the most balanced way. And doing our morning practices brings about a calm and focused energy to our day, making our decision making for healthier habits and more conscious choices easier. A spiritual practice can be 30 min in the morning and 15 min at night before bed.
For a complete guide on practices visit inspireliving.co.
